Oblique Strategies

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Oblique Strategies (subtitled Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas) is a deck of 7 by 9 centimetres (2.8 in × 3.5 in) printed cards in a black container box,[1] created by Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt and first published in 1975.[2] Each card offers an aphorism intended to help artists (particularly musicians) break creative blocks by encouraging lateral thinking.

Contents

Origin and history [edit]

In 1970 Peter Schmidt created "The Thoughts Behind the Thoughts",[3] a wooden box of 55 cards, in a signed and numbered edition of 100.[4] Eno, who had known Schmidt since the early 1960s, was intrigued by the "Thoughts" and worked with Schmidt to expand them and offer them for general sale. After Schmidt died suddenly in early 1980, Eno stopped production and the card decks became rather rare and expensive. Sixteen years later software pioneer Peter Norton convinced Eno to let him create a fourth edition as Christmas gifts for his friends (not for sale, although they occasionally come up at auction). Eno's decision to revisit the cards and his collaboration with Norton in revising them is described in detail in his 1996 book, A Year with Swollen Appendices. With public interest in the cards undiminished, in 2001 Eno once again produced a new set of Oblique Strategies cards. The number and content of the cards vary somewhat from edition to edition.

The entire story of Oblique Strategies, with the content of all the cards, exhaustive history and commentary, is documented in a website widely acknowledged as the authoritative source, put together by musician and educator Gregory Alan Taylor.[5]

The text of Schmidt’s “The Thoughts Behind the Thoughts” was published by Mindmade Books in 2012.

Design and use [edit]

Each card contains a phrase or cryptic remark which can be used to break a deadlock or dilemma situation. Some are specific to music composition; others are more general. Examples include:

  • Use an old idea.
  • State the problem in words as clearly as possible.
  • Only one element of each kind.
  • What would your closest friend do?
  • What to increase? What to reduce?
  • Are there sections? Consider transitions.
  • Try faking it!
  • Honour thy error as a hidden intention.
  • Ask your body.
  • Work at a different speed.

From the introduction to the 2001 edition:

These cards evolved from separate observations of the principles underlying what we were doing. Sometimes they were recognised in retrospect (intellect catching up with intuition), sometimes they were identified as they were happening, sometimes they were formulated. They can be used as a pack, or by drawing a single card from the shuffled pack when a dilemma occurs in a working situation. In this case the card is trusted even if its appropriateness is quite unclear...

Cultural impact [edit]

Many references to Oblique Strategies exist in popular culture, notably in the film Slacker,[6] in which a character offers passers-by cards from a deck. Strategies mentioned include "Honor thy error as a hidden intention", "Look closely at the most embarrassing details and amplify", "Not building a wall; making a brick", "Repetition is a form of change", and one which came to be seen as a summary of the film's ethos (though it was not part of the official set of Oblique Strategies), "Withdrawing in disgust is not the same thing as apathy." This line was quoted in the 1994 song "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" by R.E.M., who also mentioned Oblique Strategies in their 1998 song "Diminished" from the album Up. The Oblique Strategies are also referenced in comic 1018, "Oblique Angles", of popular web comic Questionable Content.

Other musicians inspired by Oblique Strategies include the British band Coldplay, said to have used the cards when recording their 2008 Brian Eno-produced album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and French band Phoenix, who used the cards when recording their 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix.[7] German musician/composer Blixa Bargeld has a similar navigation system, called Dave. In response to their song "Brian Eno", from their album Congratulations, MGMT has said they had a deck of Oblique Strategies in the studio, but they "don't know if [they] used them correctly."

They were most famously used by Eno during the recording of David Bowie's Berlin triptych of albums (Low, "Heroes", Lodger). Stories suggest they were used during the recording of instrumentals on "Heroes" such as "Sense of Doubt" and were utilized more extensively on Lodger ("Fantastic Voyage", "Boys Keep Swinging", "Red Money").

Editions and variations [edit]

Edition Year No. Cards Edition of Notes
Original 1975 113 500 Individually numbered, and signed by Eno and Schmidt[8]
Second 1978 128 1,000 Available through Eno's record label[9] at the time, Opal Records[10]
Third 1979 123 1,000 Advertised for sale in the EG Newsletter[11] and elsewhere[12]
French 1979 128 unknown Alain D'Hooghe translator; produced in association with an exhibition "More Than Nothing" by Schmidt & Eno[13] at the Paul Ide Gallery in Brussels, February 1980[14]
Japanese n.a. n.a. n.a. Although much-rumored to exist, no conclusive evidence has surfaced to confirm one was ever produced[15]
Fourth 1996 100 4,000 Produced by the Peter Norton family (with the blessing of Brian Eno) as Christmas gifts for his friends and colleagues (i.e. not for commercial sale).[16] Unlike other editions, the cards feature translations into the five other most common languages (Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish, Russian and Arabic),[17] include artwork (by Pae White) on the cards, and come in a molded white plastic container.[18] A handful of the cards are by new contributors (Arto Lindsay, Ritva Saarikko, Dieter Rot, and Stewart Brand).
Fifth 2001 unknown unlimited Currently still on sale[19]
Hypertext version 1995 unknown n.a. By David Wicks[20] for Mac software[21]
Mac OS Widget 2005 varies n.a. By Guy Drieghe D.[22] Can be set to display any of the first 4 editions
Windows and Mac OS application 2012 varies n.a. By -musicalentropy,[23] available in French and English, including the Oblique Strategies and various sets of advice items generated by the author and the application users
Android app
Social Edition		 July 2012 148 n.a. By Tony Brothers[24]
online editions vary vary n.a. Several online versions have appeared over the years, including those of Stoney Ballard,[25] Josh Harrison,[26] David Ray/Hyperreal,[27] Minimal Design,[28] Black Hat,[29] Doug Stewart,[30] Brian Lewellen,[31] Asahi,[32] Heroku,[33] Oblicard,[34] and others
Acute Strategies 1996 unknown n.a. By Matt Wright.[35] Composed entirely of user submissions, the name is in reference to an acute angle, a type of oblique angle.[36]
Cards inspired by Oblique Strategies vary vary n.a. Including those by Victor Kim,[37] Tinker Team Song Cards,[38] ID Drops,[39] and others

See also [edit]

References [edit]

 This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (March 2013)
  1. ^ Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies – the Ultimate Music Production Tool
  2. ^ "h2g2 - Oblique Strategies". BBC. Retrieved 2013-03-14. 
  3. ^ Peter Schmidt Web: "The Thoughts Behind the Thoughts"
  4. ^ Peter Schmidt
  5. ^ A Primer On Oblique Strategizing
  6. ^ Slacker’s Oblique Strategy - From the Current - The Criterion Collection
  7. ^ EAR FARM » Phoenix (interview with Thomas Mars)
  8. ^ The Oblique Strategies Web Site
  9. ^ http://www.gruntose.com/Info/Magick/oblique_strategies.txt
  10. ^ Edition 2 (1978)
  11. ^ personal collection
  12. ^ Edition 3 (1979)
  13. ^ Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK
  14. ^ Consulting Other Sources
  15. ^ Consulting Other Sources
  16. ^ Edition 4 (1996)
  17. ^ A New Edition Appears (in a limited way)
  18. ^ Some Cards From Edition 4
  19. ^ Brian Eno Official Store - enoshop.co.uk
  20. ^ Tools \ Processing.org
  21. ^ ObliqueWare review
  22. ^ Cool Tools – Oblique Strategies Widget
  23. ^ musicalentropy, smart tools for musicians, creativity and productivity
  24. ^ The Oblique Strategies - Android-apps op Google Play
  25. ^ Oblique Strategies
  26. ^ Random Oblique Strategies Online
  27. ^ Oblique Strategies
  28. ^ Oblique Strategies :: minimal viewer
  29. ^ Random Strategies - Oblique Strategies - blackhat-seo.com
  30. ^ Oblique Strategies
  31. ^ http://members.telocity.com/~bryrock2/eno/oblique.html
  32. ^ Oblique Strategies
  33. ^ Oblique Strategies — (Random) - Edition 3: Cascades
  34. ^ Oblique strategies - defeat creative block
  35. ^ Acute Strategies (reload to draw another card)
  36. ^ Homage - An Internet Community Oracle
  37. ^ Victor J Kim
  38. ^ Song Cards :: Tinker Team | There is no I in awesome
  39. ^ ID Drops, Visual/text prompts android app

External links [edit]

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